Judge — February 21, 1925 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Eliza Crosses the Ice—1925 Style" This cartoon references the famous scene from *Uncle Tom's Cabin* where the enslaved character Eliza escapes across a frozen river. The 1925 "modern" version depicts a woman crossing what appears to be an icy floor in an indoor skating rink or similar venue, surrounded by people (possibly skating or playing hockey). The humor relies on contrasting the dramatic, life-or-death escape of the original literary scene with a trivial, recreational modern scenario—suggesting that 1920s concerns have become comically petty compared to serious historical struggles. The cartoon satirizes contemporary society's preoccupations, using the classic literary reference as a foil to highlight how far removed modern problems are from genuine hardship or moral crisis.